How a Government Innovation Hub Centralized Order Fulfillment and Gained Workflow Control

Richard W. Matthews, Founder & CEO @ Push Button Podcasts

75% reduction
in podcast episode processing time achieved through AI and automation
Migrated 30+ client shows
from ClickUp into SmartSuite in under 1 week
Operating 100%
of service delivery, sales, and finance workflows in SmartSuite
Positioned to scale
from 30 to 100 managed shows in 2024
“SmartSuite makes my data actionable. I press a button—and the work happens across apps.”
Richard Matthews, Founder @ Fivefreedoms

Problem

Operational Breakdown in a Creative Business

A content repurposing agency that transforms weekly video podcasts into full multimedia content engines, was overwhelmed by operational breakdowns in its project management infrastructure.

As the business scaled, their backend systems couldn’t keep up. The 18-person team juggled onboarding, content delivery, creative workflows, and client communication across a patchwork of tools. ClickUp, once the operational backbone, had become unreliable—tasks vanished, assignments reset, and workflows faltered without explanation.

“ClickUp was our foundation, but it just stopped working. Tasks would disappear. Assignments would get wiped,” said the Founder.

Compounding the problem, their system relied on an overgrowth of custom fields and rigid task templates that couldn’t flex to meet their evolving needs. There was no relational logic to connect clients, projects, and content types, leaving teams without a coherent view of deliverables. What they needed was a scalable, centralized solution—one with relational data, user-specific views, and automation that delivered consistency and control.

Q1

Solution

Rebuilt in Days, Run by Data

The Founder discovered SmartSuite via a partner video. Within three days, he had rebuilt most of the company’s delivery system from scratch—including CRM, finance tracking, and a SquadCast-to-Descript automation layer.

“I built an entire SmartSuite database from my phone, just to see if it could be done. It worked.”

Key Elements Built in SmartSuite:

  • Client Show Hub: Each podcast has one record linking to guest info, assets, sessions, timelines, and automation triggers
  • Automation Layer: Staff clicks a SmartSuite button to trigger file transfers from SquadCast → Google Drive → Descript
  • Prompt Database + AI Actions: Writers use SmartSuite buttons to generate LinkedIn posts, blogs, and threads via ChatGPT
  • Finance & Profit Tracker: Integrated “Profit First” database tracks roles, hours, costs, and team pay dynamically
  • SOP & Internal Culture Hub: Personnel database powers birthdays, anniversaries, and custom celebration workflows
  • Templated Task Lists: Task sets (e.g., pre-production, delivery) pulled from SmartSuite templates with date offsets and assignments

“SmartSuite lets us act on data across systems. I can press one button and move files, notify clients, start production—it’s all connected.”

Q2

Results

Scaling Creatively, Operating Seamlessly

SmartSuite has become the backbone of the companiesinternal operations, powering delivery for over 30 shows—and scaling toward 100+ in 2024.

  • End-to-end delivery system: Onboarding → Production → Publication managed in one platform
  • 8x revenue growth year-over-year, doubling again since SmartSuite implementation
  • 75%+ reduction in writer time per episode—from 4 hours to under 1
  • Automations across apps: Google Drive, Descript, SquadCast, and more, all triggered from SmartSuite
  • Mobile-first workflows: Team can build and execute key actions from their phones

“The system is fast, relational, and my staff actually likes using it. And I haven’t hit a wall yet.”

Download Customer Story PDF

Customer Name

Creative Agency – North America

Industry

Advertising Agency

Team

Operations

Region

North America

Company size

Small Business

Pain point

Fragmented backend systems for podcast production

Products replaced

Clickup, Google Sheets

About the company

A global advisory firm helping clients obtain second citizenship and residency through customized mobility planning.